Wharf crane



, Nov. 16 192e,

C. H. WRIGHT WHARF CRANE Filed Feb. 17, 1925 a /3 l8 l6 5 INVENTOR L J Clzarlesfifih/ny/u BY Patented Nov. 16, 1926. I

UNITED STATES PATENT OF'FlCEg-i OHARLES'I-II WRIGHT, OF TACOMA; VVA SHINGION ASSIGNOR TO STAR IRON. AND STEEL 00., OF TACOMA, WASHINGTON; A CORPORATION OF'WASHINGTON.

WHA'RF cRAivn.

Application 'fiIed'Febi-u'ary 17,1925. Serial No. 9,794.

My invention relates to improvements in wharf cranes of the form used in loading and unloading ships at wharves and the object of my. invention is to provide a wharf crane of this nature which makes possible the operation of two separate loading and unloading devices through a single hatchway of a ship, said wharf crane embodying a boom having two trackways arranged close together at a point which may be positioned over the hatchway of a ship and spaced further apart at the location where loads are picked up from or delivered onto a dock.

Other and more specific objects will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view in slde elevation of a wharf crane constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of this wharf crane, certain counterweights being omitted.

Fig. 3 is'a plan view of the crane substantially on broken line 33 of Fig. 1.

Wharf cranes, as usually constructed, have only one trackway and employ only one carriage thus providing only one hook for use in unloading from or loading into a single hatch of a vessel.

This crane provides two trackways operable independently of each other and arranged to operate two hooks from the same hatchway of the vessel thus making it possible to greatly facilitate the loading or unloading of cargo and resulting in a great saving of time.

Referring to the drawings, throughout which like reference numerals designate like parts, 5 designates a portal, of the form commonly used on wharves, movable on wheels 6 and 7 that may run on suitable tracks 8.

The portal 5 supports a turntable 9 where on the boom 10 of the crane is rotatably mounted as by wheels 11 and a central pivot 12.

A control house 13 which contains mechanism, not shown, for operating the boom and for operating the carriages on the boom is mounted on said boom directly above turntable 10.

p'osite sides ofthe control house 13 andterminate in close proximity at their forward ends. T hese trackways are shown straight but maybe curved if itis found advantageous to have them so.

The boom 10 is suitably trussed to give it the required strength and a counterweight 16 is provided at the rear end of each trackway.

Traveling carriages 17 and 18 are provided on the respective trackways 14 and 1b and each of said carriages is provided with a hook block 20 operable on a line 21 for raising, lowering and carrying loads. The carriages are preferably operated and controlled independently of each other by mechanism provided in the control house 13.

In the ordinary operation of this crane the outer end of the boom will be placed over the hatch of a ship through which cargo is to be loaded or unloaded, the rear ends of the trackways 14 and 15 being over the wharf or over .suitable conveyance from which cargo is to be picked up or upon which cargo is to be deposited. The carriages 17 and 18 will preferably be operated alternately so that only one carriage at a time will be at the outer end of the boom, each of said carriages being moved back and forth on its respective trackway, picking up a load at one end and depositing said load at the other end. In this way it is possible for both carriages to be either loading into, or unloading froma single hatchway or for one carriage to be loading cargo through a hatchway while the other is discharging cargo through the same hatchway;

The rear ends of trackways 14 and 15 are far enough apart so that one of said rear track ends may be positioned in a convenient loading or unloading position over one ordinary fiat car 22 while the other rear track end may occupy a convenient loading or unloading position over another flat car 22 on the same railroad track.

This crane makes possible a great saving of time by substantially doubling the rate at which cargo may be unloaded or discharged through a single hatchway.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawings clearly disclose a pre ferred embodiment of my invention but it will be understood that this disclosure is merely illustrative and that such changes in the invention may be resorted to as are within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

I claim:

1.. In a Wharf crane, a traveling portal, a turntable on said portal, a triangular shaped boom mounted on the turntable, two 'sub stantially horizontal. trackways rigidly mounted on the boom being spaced apart at the rear end and extending forwardly past the opposite sides of said turntable and being closely adjacent to each other at the front end forming the main side beam of the boom, transverse bars for holding the trackW-ay in the diagonal position on the turntable and a carriage on each of said tracltways for conveying material.

2. In a Wharf crane, a traveling portal, a turntable on said portal, a triangular shaped boom mounted on the turntable, two diagonally positioned trackways mounted on the boom adapted to swing horizontally in unison with each other, said trackways arranged in close proximity at their outer end and extending rearwardly in divergent relation passed opposite sides of said turntable and a carriage on each of saidtrack- Ways. V

The foregoing specification signed at Tacoma, lVashington, this 28 day of January,

CHARLES H. WVRIGHT. 

